Just a Teammate
by Hesychia
Summary: Artemis deals with her own inner demons and her past, aided by each member of the team. There's a small bit of Wally/Artemis near the end.
1. Chapter 1

The van could have been completely normal as it maneuvered the dark alleyways of Gotham City. It was plain, white; nothing out of the ordinary or suspicious. Until it pulled into the area behind the warehouse.

Five men jumped out, two holding semi-automatic air rifles. A shadow hovered on the top of a nearby building, a pair of high-intensity binoculars pressed to her face. "P90's?" she muttered, referring to the rare guns. "Where do they get their funding, Bruce Wayne?"

The other three men were joined by a quintet of men all wearing black with ski masks. "Cliché, much?" she murmured as the men opened the back of the truck and began to unload the stolen surplus. The girl grinned to herself as she reached back for an arrow.

"I think that's far enough, boys." She aimed directly; the arrow shot through the open window of the truck, sinking into the ignition and damaging it. "Can't let you get away; takes all the fun out of it." The girl leaped agilely across an alley, landing without a sound. She felt… great, giddy almost.

"Alright, priorities," she whispered, drawing back her bowstring and aiming at the first gunman. The arrow flew, finding its target as it dug deep into the thin nozzle of the machine gun. The gunman just stared stupidly at it, the other glancing over. The sight alarmed him just enough that the archer could get a perfect shot and…

The trigger of the second gun broke off as the man yelped, his finger bleeding from where the arrow had grazed it. The archer grinned slyly as the others pulled out weenie handguns. Now comes the fun part.

The first man yelped as the muffled arrow thudded against his chest, sending him flying backward as the air was knocked out of him. Similar arrows hit the others as they searched frantically for the source. A few were smart and hid in the back of the van as one got in the front seat. The archer pressed a button on her bow as it was compressed into a package she could fit inside her quiver. _Showtime._

The archer came down like a shadow out of the night, quickly dispatching the first thug as the others ran forward. "Green Arrow?" one of them yelled.

"Thought he was in Star City," another answered.

The girl grinned wickedly as she knocked her current opponent unconscious and they got a good look at their adversary. "Hate to disappoint you guys, but I'm not Green Arrow. Name's Artemis, and I'll be your friendly neighborhood superhero this evening."

They seemed whelmed at the sight of her, which she knew would be their weakness. _Never underestimate your enemy_, Black Canary's words rang in Artemis's head. The obvious leader yelled, "Ah, she's just a kid. Herm, take care of her, will ya?"

A larger one approached her, cracking his knuckles. "Don't worry, princess, I'll go easy on ya."

A few seconds later, Herm lay flat on his back, growling at Artemis's grinning face. "That was pretty whelming, _Herm_," she said cheerily. "But maybe you should consider actually trying next time."

He snarled angrily and charged at her. A few minutes later, he found himself on the ground with a bloody nose. He coughed, wiping away the blood on the back of his hand. Artemis giggled, twirling his handgun in one hand. "Oh, and one more thing." He cried out as she brought down the butt of his handgun on his head. "I'm not your princess," she whispered into the unconscious man's ear.

The others charged her, though not all at once. _Because,_ she thought wryly, _they don't all want to get their hands dirty._ Artemis fought well, and most of the men were hardly a match for her.

_My terms,_ she thought, remembering what Black Canary had taught her. _Punch, kick, but hold on until he's unconscious and another's in your reach; never give them an opening to shoot. _

She was relieved to find how swift she'd become; even her basic maneuvers were precise. _Knew I was ready_, she grinned, panting as the criminals struggled to get up. "Had enough, boys?"

Most of them were unconscious, and it was a pathetically easy task to knock the awake ones out. Artemis hauled them all into little groups, tying them up easily. She ended with Herm. She pulled out some more rope, when suddenly huge hands seized her wrists. Artemis yelped as Herm pulled her down and straddled her, thick hands tightening around her neck. "Sweet dreams, princess," he snarled threateningly.

Artemis choked for air, but failed miserably. Just as darkness crept in the edges of her vision…

She opened her eyes and coughed. Artemis's throat hurt, and she realized she had a few good bruises on her neck. She looked around, surprised to see Herm tied up and out cold . Crouching next to him was Robin, securing the last knot in his bonds. He glanced up and smiled at Artemis.

"Morning, Sleeping Beauty."

Her eyes narrowed as she realized what must have happened. "I didn't need your help, Robin," she growled, standing up.

He gave her an injured look. "A thank you would've sufficed."

"I had the situation under control."

He looked at the holoscreen on his arm. "See, I think I missed the part where you getting strangled to death was part of the master plan."

Artemis wanted to wring that little neck of his. "I knew what I was doing; I was just about to make my move when you swooped in-"

"Right, the move where you black out and die."

Artemis tried to create a good comeback, but all she managed was, "I'm done here." She turned to walk away, but Robin grabbed her arm.

"I just have one question… well, make that two. First, how did you find out about this… 'operation'?"

She didn't turn around. "That's for me to know and you to find out."

"So you went snooping on my computer?"

"The file was open, Rob. Next question?"

He paused, then asked, "Why didn't you bring any backup?"

"Maybe because I wanted to test my limits, see what I could do without help. Besides, worse-case scenario, I call you for help."

"Artemis, you know that's not the whole truth. You can tell me."

She kept her back to him, staring at the ground. "That is the whole truth, whether you like it or not."

"Seriously, Artemis. You could've gotten hurt. Think about how we would've reacted, how Kid Flash would've-"

"Kid Flash doesn't care about what happens to me."

"He cares more than you know; we all do." He put his hand on her shoulder. "Look, Artemis, even I'm not allowed to go on solo missions without Batman and I maintaining contact through radio. Even Speedy-"

That was the last straw. "Would you guys just shut up about Speedy!" She whirled around, furious. "Speedy this, Speedy that, Speedy wouldn't have missed that shot, Speedy wouldn't have done that. Well here's a reality check, Robbie! I'm not Speedy!"

His eyes widened as he stepped back. "Artemis, I didn't mean-"

"No, it was perfectly clear what you meant, Robin! Look, Speedy isn't coming back, so you're stuck with me, like it or not! Just get over it!" Her voice cracked on the last word.

Robin looked up at her, and Artemis was reminded that he was younger than her. "Artemis," he whimpered. "I- I didn't-"

"Whatever," she growled, turning away and climbing back up the side of the building, trotting off. Robin stood there a few more seconds, until the sound of police sirens ushered him to the rooftops, where he disappeared into the night.


	2. Chapter 2

The arrows flew from the bowstring, each nailing their target in the direct bulls-eye. Artemis was sweaty and should have hit the showers twenty minutes ago, but she didn't feel like she'd worked enough. Besides, she needed to clear her head, and this was the easiest way.

_Stupid Speedy_, she thought angrily as another arrow was let loose. _Stupid Red Arrow, stupid Robin. Why can't he just accept that I'm here to stay? Why can't any of them just get over the fact that Speedy is gone?_

Her last arrow meandered to the side a few millimeters away from the center of the target. Livid, Artemis threw her bow at the targets on the wall, yelling with rage. She stood there for a moment, before sinking to her knees. She pulled them up in front of her, hugging her legs as her mind raced.

She barely noticed M'gann until she was standing right behind her. "A-Artemis?"

The archer hid her face, her voice muffled as she muttered, "What?"

"Is something… wrong? I heard you yell, and I thought…"

"Everything's fine, M'gann."

The Martian crouched beside her. "Artemis, I have 12 sisters and at least 23 female cousins. I've dealt with this kind of thing before. Please tell me what's wrong."

Artemis shook her head. M'gann sighed. "Perhaps… it would be easier to reveal through thoughts. If you'll let me into your mind…"

Artemis looked at her horrified. "No!" she yelled, pulling away.

M'gann hesitated, but Artemis could feel her mind pressing against hers. "Please, Artemis. I know it seems… invading, but it's easier, and I promise not to look at anything unless you want me to."

Artemis shook her head. "No, M'gann. Maybe on Mars, minds were like open books, but here… you don't want to see my mind, M'gann, trust me."

"Please…" M'gann asked.

Suddenly, Artemis's defenses went down dangerously with a second of hesitation, and M'gann accidentally pushed too hard against her thoughts. She delved deeply into Artemis's mind, overcome by the things she found there. Artemis screeched at the invasion of privacy, and screamed, "Get out of my mind!"

M'gann recovered from her initial shock and exited swiftly. The girls stood motionless for a moment, when M'gann began to cry. "Oh, Artemis," she whispered, still overwhelmed by her friend's emotions.

Artemis stood up quickly, running from the room. M'gann made no move to stop her, dazed by the things she had discovered.


	3. Chapter 3

Artemis lay curled on her bed; rarely used, but extremely comfortable. _That's it_, she thought. _M'gann knows the truth… Soon, she'll tell them, and they'll all know… _Her eyes squeezed shut. _They'll turn on me in an instant; question me, possibly torture me if they feel too betrayed… No, they're too nice for that. Besides, physical pain isn't going to be as bad as the look on their faces… The look on Wally's face… What will he do?_

There was a soft knocking at the door, and Artemis felt cold dread crawl up her spine. "W-who is it?" she called softly, trembling.

"Its Kaldur," the Atlantean's gentle voice answered. Artemis winced. _Here it comes._

She forced herself to rise, hand shaking as she twisted the doorknob and let him in. There was an awkward silence for a few moments, until Kaldur took a deep breath and began. "I believe… Well, you are obviously troubled, Artemis."

She nodded, wondering where this was going.

Kaldur continued, "Of what, I am not certain. But that does not matter because… you are part of this team."

Artemis blinked, surprised.

"I want you to know that whatever troubles you, whatever hurts… we are here for you. I am here for you. If there is anything you wish to tell, I promise, I will not tell the team."

Artemis bit her lip. She, the whole team, had discovered how well Aqualad could keep secrets, even when it could have saved their lives. But still…

"If you are wondering, we know of what happened with M'gann."

Artemis looked at him horrified. He shook his head. "She has not revealed anything but the fact that you are upset and need… help. I know I am your leader, but I am also… your friend."

Artemis looked away, crossing her arms. "I don't have friends," she muttered. "Just teammates."

Kaldur approached her. "Robin informed me, quietly, about what occurred earlier this evening. Artemis, I… that is ,we-Robin, Kid Flash and I-have known Speedy-Red Arrow-for a very long time. When he decided to abandon us, I was uncertain of his intentions. It is now clear to us that he would be better off working alone.

"When you joined the team… we were all wary of you. You were new, you were… different. But it was clear to us that from the very first mission, you had proven yourself more than capable. I wish to let you know that… even if my life depended on it… I would rather have you as a teammate than Red Arrow any day."

Kaldur grunted in surprise as Artemis threw her arms around his neck. Stunned, he hesitated, then hugged her back. He had never hugged a person on the surface before; Kaldur was surprised at how… warm it felt.

"Thank you, Kaldur," she choked, and he could tell she was close to tears.

Kaldur smiled and stroked her hair. "You are very welcome, my friend."

It was in that position that Wally found them as he passed by. He paused, staring at Kaldur's back as Artemis cried into his shoulder. He couldn't stifle the pang of jealousy. He watched them for a few moments, then moved on, feeling… wounded.


	4. Chapter 4

M'gann was not listening as Batman outlined the next mission for them. She had pulled herself together, but was still mulling over what she'd learned from Artemis. It was terrifying to think of the things she'd gone through; practically every secret she'd ever had was revealed to M'gann. _Cheshire is her sister_, she thought, still not believing the fact. _And her father… Not to mention her mother…_ She shuddered. _Talk about a dysfunctional family._

M'gann knew that the things she had discovered could get Artemis kicked off the team. But she wondered if the rest would be understanding enough to let her be… M'gann knew Artemis's secrets; she had leverage, and though she wasn't that cruel, Artemis might be untrusting enough to think she was.

M'gann also knew that talking to Artemis herself would be futile. She hadn't spoken a word to the martian since… the incident.

_You okay?_ She glanced at Conner, who was looking at her with concern.

An idea bloomed in her mind. _I'm fine. Conner, I need you to do something for me…_

It was a standard mission; observe and report, nothing unusual. Except this time, it was in Taipei and not some bizarre place in the middle of nowhere. Artemis was still shaken, but she had pulled herself together enough for the mission.

It was a simple task; watch the international affairs building as the world leaders had their little meeting. The job was practically security.

Nonetheless, it was tedious. Artemis stood and stretched her sore muscles from her position besides Superboy.

_This is boring_, he thought. _Nothing's going to happen so why don't we just go home?_

_Patience, Superboy_, Aqualad replied. _It is unlikely anything too interesting will happen tonight, but it is better to be safe than sorry._

Superboy shifted, crossing his arms as he laid back against the building. Artemis considered how serious he looked. "Why don't you ever smile?" she asked without meaning to.

He glanced at her. "I do smile; you're just never around when I do."

Artemis shrugged, stretching again. She felt when M'gann turned off the telepathic link. She guessed that M'gann still felt bad about the mind-invading thing and wanted everyone to be with their own thoughts. Artemis began to hum, then slowly started singing.

"_When you wake, you will have all the pretty little horses…"_

"What's that?" Superboy asked, his eyebrows furrowing. Then again, were his eyebrows ever NOT furrowed?

"A lullaby. Haven't you ever-" she caught herself. Superboy cocked his head sideways.

"What's a lullaby?"

"It's a song, but you usually you sing it to kids to get them to go to sleep."

Superboy considered that. "You mean, if you sing a song, they just… go to sleep?"

Artemis shrugged. "I guess so. I mean, it helps them fall asleep… I think… It's just a soothing song, you know."

"Oh," Superboy said simply, but she could tell he was still thinking.

After a few moments, she began to sing again. _"Blacks and bays, dapples and grays…"_

"You have a very pretty voice, Artemis." She looked at him, surprised. He'd stated it as though it was a mere fact, but she couldn't help but smile at him.

"Thank you."

There was more silence until Superboy asked, "Where did you learn the lullaby?"

She shrugged. "My mom."

He seemed to hesitate, then asked softly, "Artemis? W-what's it like?"

Artemis turned to him, curious. "What's what like?"

"Having… a mother."

She blinked, caught off-guard. "Um… it's… okay…"

He looked at her, and she was surprised to see a longing there. It seemed so… out of place on Superboy's usually serious features. "I mean… Does she do all those things that…" He paused, then restated, "I mean, when I was in my… pod… the G-gnomes… They told me about mothers and families but… And I never asked the others about it because… I just want to know how it's supposed to be."

Artemis was silent, staring at the building without really seeing it. Finally, she whispered, "I guess families… well, naturally, they're related by blood, but… A real family doesn't have to be, I guess. They're supposed to be like… like a team. They all have a role to play… They all love and support each other… and…" She paused, unable to continue.

All she could think about was that night… the night the police came and took her mother away. Her father standing there, stone cold and silent. He turned her in… hurt her, hurt all of them. And what did her sister do? She just watched… she always just watched or disappeared into her room or snuck out of the apartment. And her mother… Artemis blinked back a tear.

"Artemis? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Superboy. It's just… I wouldn't know what a family's supposed to be like. My dad… and my mom…" She blinked as a tear escaped.

He looked at her curiously. "At least you had a mother," he said wistfully, leaning closer to her as he brushed away her tears with his hand.

Artemis smiled brokenly. "Sometimes, I think things would have been better that way." She paused, then whispered, "I sort of envy you, Superboy. You don't have to worry about a family, people you're tied through bloodlines with. I know you have Superman, but he can take care of himself. You don't have to worry about them coming back, haunting you."

Superboy paused. "Why don't you just stop caring, if you don't like them?"

"Family doesn't work that way. I mean, even if you hated Superman, or the Cadmus people, you'd still have a soft spot because they're part of who you are."

Superboy frowned thoughtfully. "Who says you can't have more than one family?"

Artemis glanced at him. "What do you mean?"

"Isn't this-we- the team, aren't we your family?"

Artemis stared at him. He was so matter-of-fact about it. She looked away. "I- no. You may feel that way; you're allowed to. But this can't be my family… you're just the team that I'm a part of."

Superboy looked injured. "Why do you do this to yourself? Artemis, why don't you just accept that this isn't just a team anymore? When I first started on this team, it was just something for me to do, a destiny. It was like I didn't even have a choice, really.

"But then… after a few missions… I realized that I wasn't doing this just to prove myself anymore." He glanced down at the street. "Part of me knows that there are innocent people down there, with normal lives. People that were lucky enough to be normal. And part of me wants to protect those people from the things that can ruin their lives." He returned his gaze to her.

"Artemis… I think part of you wants the same thing. All of us want that; it's what brings this team together. It's what makes us a family." He paused, then grinned at her. "I've never had a sister before. Artemis, I would be honored if you would consider yourself my sister."

She looked at him blankly, then looked away. Part of her warned her: this was another attachment, another person to care about…

_Oh, what the hey._ Artemis grinned at him. "If you'll be my brother."

He returned the smile and squeezed her shoulder. She managed a weak smile and looked back at the building. Part of her was sad, knowing that another person was going to worry about her, and she about him.

_M'gann, was that okay? _From the right side of the building, M'gann smiled to herself, having heard the whole conversation through Superboy.

_Don't worry, Conner; I approve._

There was a calmness that followed, and soon people began to pour out of the building. _Finally_, Kid Flash thought as M'gann reestablished the telepathic link. _Can we go home now?_

_I wish for us to linger at least another half hour, if you are all up to the task._

_I'm fine_, quipped Miss Martian.

_You sure are, beautiful._

_Wally!_

_What?_

_KF and I are good here._

_Superboy? Artemis?_ Superboy grinned at her knowingly.

_We're fantastic._

Wally clenched his fist. There was something he didn't like about the way Superboy had thought that. Robin glanced over, grinning as Miss Martian shut down the telepathic link.

"So KF, " he began nonchalantly. "did you hear that Artie's been hanging around with some guy at my school?"

Wally snapped his head around, shocked. "What? Who?"

Robin snickered, laying back as his eyes were glued dutifully to the building. "Ever heard of Dick Grayson, KF? Rich kid, my age, with the mind of some mad scientist. Not to mention that he's a major snob."

Wally stared at Robin, stunned. "Wait- Artemis is friends with _the _Dick Grayson? With some whiny rich kid?"

Robin grinned knowingly. He had practiced talking about himself just for times like these. "Sure. I saw them in the courtyard, talking about-" he winked; well, the mask appeared to wink. "chemistry." Technically, it was all true. Robin had approached her in the courtyard asking about a chemistry test.

Wally's eyes widened. "Wha- why would Artemis be friends with someone who goes to Gotham Academy? She doesn't even live in Gotham!"

He shrugged. "Don't know, KF. I do know that she and the Grayson kid are _really_ close." _Oh the delicious irony_, he thought as Kid Flash clenched his fist.

"That doesn't sound like Artemis at all… I can't believe she'd be friends with some rich snob."

"Now wait a minute," Robin said, leaning towards him. "I think you have a little… Is that jealousy in your eye there, KF?"

"Oh shut up," Kid Flash grumbled, shoving the Boy Wonder and glaring at the building.


	5. Chapter 5

**This passage is a little shorter, but I thought it would be a better way to go with the story.**

**P.S. I know Wally's supposed to know Robin's identity, but I thought Robin needed a good troll scene.**

The shadow hid in the top of the building. _So easy… too easy._ She didn't care, though. She licked her lips, and then slowly crept down, right behind the girl. In one lithe movement, she leaped down, locked an arm around the girl, and put a knife to her throat. The Super-kid jumped up, but the assassin whispered, "Oh no, you don't, Super-brat. One false moves and the archer gets it." To emphasize the words, she pressed the knife harder against the girl's throat.

Super-kid stayed down, but his eyes were murderous. "Cheshire," he snarled through gritted teeth.

"In the flesh," she sneered. "Now be a good superhero and stay right there. Oh, and if you even think about calling for help from one of your other… _playmates_…" Artemis whimpered as Cheshire sliced the knife across her face, leaving a thin, bleeding scar. The assassin slowly backed away, whispered in the archer's ear, "See? This was inevitable, Artemis. You thought you could run, pretend that you were one of the good guys." Cheshire chuckled darkly. "It was almost cute, the way you thought you could escape your destiny. You have no idea how glad Dad's going to be when he sees you."

"I won't go back. The second you let me go, I'll-"

"You'll what? Hurt your family?"

Super-kid's eyes widened. "Artemis, what is she talking about?"

"Ah, so you didn't tell them your little secret. Really, Artemis, you thought if they knew what you were, they'd still be your _friends?_"

"They're not my friends," she whispered. Cheshire felt a pang of delight to see Super-kid's face fall.

"Really, now?" she snarled. "Then you shouldn't care when we _take_ _care of them_." She hissed the last words dangerously. She grinned as Artemis shuddered.

Suddenly, the knife lifted free from her fingers. Cheshire moved quickly, but a moment of hesitation allowed Artemis to slip free of her grasp and run to Super-kid's side. Cheshire made to pursue her, but some incredible force attacked her mind.

Cheshire yelled with pain as some alien force crushed down on her mind, forcing her to her knees. She managed to look up, staring at the Martian girl. Miss Martian's eyes were glowing, her lips pulled back in a sneer. "LEAVE HER ALONE!"

Cheshire cried out as her defenses fell, the Martian invading her mind, her private thoughts. She screamed as the alien forced her to see them, watch all the pain she'd ever caused, the hearts she'd broken.

"MISS MARTIAN! STOP!" called Aqualad from the other building. Artemis huddled beside Superboy, whose arms were wrapped protectively around her.

"NO!" growled Miss Martian, glaring at Cheshire intensely. "You don't know how many people she's hurt, how she hurt her own-"

_M'gann_, whispered a small voice through the telepathic link. The Martian paused and looked at Artemis. She was standing now, blood dripping from the scar on her face. _Don't hurt her. This is my battle._

Miss Martian paused, then slowly relented. She landed beside Superboy as Artemis approached Cheshire. The assassin was kneeling, panting, tears streaming down her face. Artemis knelt beside her, gently putting her hand on her sister's shoulder. "It's okay, Chess. We're going to get you some help."

Robin, Kid Flash, and Aqualad had all arrived at the scene at that point, scouring the area for any other villains.

Cheshire quietly sobbed, and Artemis stroked her back. "It's alright, Chess. It's going to be-"

Artemis released a choked yelp as Cheshire's knife swiped across her stomach, leaving a wide gash. The archer blanched and collapsed on the ground as the assassin began to laugh through her tears. The team stood there, staring in horror. Kid Flash was the first to move, darting forward and lashing out blindly at Cheshire as fast as he could. She took every blow, backing away.

Then the helicopter appeared, and Cheshire kicked him in the chest, turning and running. Superboy, Robin, and Aqualad ran after the helicopter as it flew into the sky.

Kid Flash hesitated, glancing back. M'gann was kneeling over Artemis, contacting the bioship. He knew she'd be safe with the Martian; he turned and ran after the helicopter.


	6. Chapter 6

She wouldn't let anyone in her room.

Wally stood like a silent guardian outside her door; arms crossed as he leaned against the wall. M'gann exited, sighing heavily. The speedster darted to her. "Well?"

"She's fine; the initial shock has passed, but she refuses to let anyone help her." She looked away, slightly ashamed. "Even me."

Wally put a hand on her shoulder reassuringly. M'gann flashed him a weak smile, then turned and walked down the hall. Wally glanced at the door, then took a deep breath.

He was the only one that hadn't gone in there.

Wally grabbed the doorknob and twisted it, entering. Artemis sat on her bed, holding something in her hands. Her face was empty, staring at nothing and yet everything.

"Artemis." She looked up at him, eyes dead.

"What do you want, Wally?"

He paused. "I… just wanted to make sure you were alright."

She uttered a choked laugh.

Wally hesitated, then muttered, "Look, I'm sorry Cheshire got away. We tried, but…"

"It's fine, Wally."

A moment of silence ensued. Wally finally spoke.

"Superboy told us that when Cheshire… had you trapped, you told her that you didn't have any friends."

Artemis avoided his gaze, glaring down at the thing in her hands. "What about it?"

"Was it true?"

"Yes," she whispered.

"Artemis, what-"

"You just don't get it, Wally."

"Maybe I would if you just tell me."

Artemis stared at the object in her hands.

A picture. A picture of a young girl and her sister. The dark haired girl was smiling mysteriously, but the little sister was laughing. If you looked at the picture, they could have been best friends. It hurt to know the truth.

_What? You'd thought she could change, be your best friend again? Don't kid yourself, Artemis. _She pressed a hand gently against the scar on her stomach.

"I don't have friends, Wally. I have companions… teammates. People I need to survive."

"No." He said the word so forcefully, she glanced up. "It's more than that. Tell me… please."

Artemis was silent, looking away.

Wally took a deep breath, an idea bloomed in his mind. He had to convince her that she could trust him.

"Look, Artemis, all I said about you and replacing Speedy and not being as good as him; I didn't mean that. And all the times I called you a snob and stuff, I didn't mean that either."

Everything else that followed was the truth, the blunt embarrassing truth. Mostly, he apologized for all the names and insults he called her, for acting like such a jerk. Everything poured out, and he felt unable to contain it.

The whole while, she just stared at him, amazed and concerned by his confessions.

Finally, he ended quietly with, "And the only reason I did all that stuff was because…" Wally hesitated, then decided that confession was for another time. "Because you're my friend."

There was a silence, Artemis just staring at him. Finally, she looked away. Silent.

Wally stared at her now, astonished. "Are you kidding me? Artemis, I just told you everything. And you still can't trust me? You still can't trust us, your team?"

"Because I'm not allowed to!" she yelled, jumping to her feet. Wally stumbled back, alarmed by her sudden aggressiveness. "Because in my world, in my life, when you trust someone with everything you have, they take those secrets and throw them in your face! Where I come from, if you care about someone, your enemies find any and every way to hurt them… to take them away from you…" Tears sprouted in her eyes, but she wiped them away with the back of her hand.

"And then you'd end up all alone, waiting for a mom to come home from jail and stuck with a dad that hates your guts… And the only person you could ever trust ran away… And took your secrets with her…"

Wally stared at her, incredulous. She stood panting, tears streaming down her face and wetting the bandage that covered the scar on her cheek.

Finally, Wally whispered, "Maybe you trusted the wrong person." Without another word, he reached out… and hugged her.

At first, Artemis was shocked. Finally, in silent submission, she wrapped her arms around him.

Then it began. She slowly began to whisper to him, telling him everything. Wally was still while he listened, stroking her back, amazed at the things Artemis had to go through.

And then she was finished. Wally was still, incredulous at the things he had discovered. He hesitated, then whispered, "So… M'gann knows?"

Artemis nodded against his shoulder. "She's the only one."

He backed away and looked her in the eyes, cupping her face in his hand. "Thank you."

She nodded simply.

They smiled at each other, then Artemis whispered, "I should tell the rest of the team."

Wally took her hand. "That sounds like a good idea." They walked out of her room together.


End file.
